As Moldavite's value grows, so does the market for fakes

For as long as there’s been valuable commodities, man has made every attempt to counterfeit them and pawn them off as the real thing.

Unfortunately, this has been the case with Moldavite ever since it begin gaining value and popularity in the late 90’s.

Since that time I’ve come across everything from “African Moldavite”, a ridiculously neon green glass to molded glass counterfeits made in China which can easily fool the unsuspecting novice. 

I’ve also had customers try and convince me that Moldavite exists from other parts of the world.

In fact, several Australians have sworn up and down that Australian Moldavite is in fact Moldavite.

Most people don't know how to identify this gemstone!

Yes, there are other Tektites from other parts of the world but Moldavite is incredibly unique and identifiable.

Once you’ve held enough pieces in your hand it really can’t be misidentified as being from anywhere else but the Czech Republic. 

Experience alone wins in this case as this gemstone is so rare and mysterious in the first place, not many people knew about it until it's popularity exploded in the last twenty years and value skyrocketed.

Well, it saddens me to say, I’ve recently had another wake up call as to the prevalence of fake Moldavite on the market and how much of a scourge it’s become.

A recent wake-up call about the extent of fake Moldavite

I recently was in Jaipur on a gemstone buying trip and one of my trusted contacts begin to tell me of the large amount of Moldavite available on the market there and its popularity.

For starters, let me preface by explaining that Jaipur is, in many ways, the gemstone capital of the world. Located in Rajasthan, this particular area of India can lay claim to being the first place where gemstones were cut and polished.

In fact, there are records that as far back a the 4th century BC diamonds were traded and even taxed within the kingdom of Bharat (modern day India).

Here you will find all manner of crystals and minerals imported from around the world cut and polished into beautiful gems of all shapes and sizes.

Needless to say, when my friend Deepak took out a packet of “Moldavite” to ask me what I thought about the quality of stones available on the market, I was shocked.

The chunks of glass (let’s call it for what it really is) were highly-lacquered in texture and had a smelted rough surface.

Although they were a decent knock off, I was immediately suspicious. The texture on the pile of glass counterfeits was too uniform, the luster also more or less the exact same on all of the pieces.

One of the glass chunks was broken so I was able to look through the surface and study the interior with a gem loop and compare it with what I knew I should see inside a real Moldavite. 

Gem dealers themselves are unknowingly buying fakes

When I checked the piece of “Moldavite” it was a virtually eye-clean piece of glass with no swirls of flow texture, no bubbles... nothing.

It was just a dead piece of glass selling at $3000 per kilogram which for Moldavite would be ridiculously cheap but for glass absurdly expensive!

Poor Deepak was shocked and thanked me profusely for saving him the embarrassment of buying more of the junk. And I was left determined to let people know how to identify both fake Moldavite and real Moldavite.

Even jewelry is being made with fake Moldavite gemstones

Later on in my trip I found more examples of ready made Moldavite jewelry being produced in Jaipur with fake green glass. It really saddens me now when I browse through websites like Ebay and Etsy and find countless examples of green glass being pawned off to people who are innocently looking to own a piece of this magical stone, not a piece of counterfeit glass. 

Identify proper Moldavite under a magnifying glass to be sure

Due to the process which formed Moldavite involving intense heat and atmospheric melting during its journey back down through upper atmosphere, real Moldavite has distinct tell-tell attributes which can’t be faked. 

The interior of Moldavites varies quite a bit, from heavily included with lots of bubbles, to brighter more lustrous green colors with more clarity. All pieces under a loop should show characteristic bubbles and wavy flow texture as well as distinct wisps of lechatelierite which is a high temperature form of Silicone Oxide.

Fake Moldavite appears more now online and in stores

To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Please be vigilant and only buy from trusted suppliers. That goes for not just Moldavite but any gemstones.

We not only offer genuine Moldavite specimens and handmade Moldavite Jewelry.

Buy genuine stones from us for the top value-add Moldavite experience

Let it be known that since 1999 when I made my first trip to the Czech Republic, we at Arkadia have sold nothing but the highest quality authentic Moldavite stones.

Each one of our pieces is backed by the integrity of our business everything we stand for. We do our best to do this gemstone a service while also doing a service to those who seek this stone - it is important to us that people who need the real Moldavite are able to get it and know it is real. This you can be sure of when you buy from Arkadia.

I am humbled to have had the opportunity to work with this incredible stone as long as I have and we will continue to be an outpost of quality, integrity and a trusted supplier of Moldavite for as long as it’s still coming out of the ground! 

We offer a free Certificate of Authenticity for everything we sell on our website, including Moldavite Stones.